Of Melons and Livelihoods
by KatLeePT
Summary: Clark trusts Lex with a lot more than just his melons. CLex Slash.


"Sometimes I still don't believe you shop like this," Lex grumbles. "There are so many better ways we can be spending our time, Lex. You know I could easily have any and all of this delivered to your farm."

"I know you could," Clark argues lightly in return, hefting two melons from a display and testing their firmness gently in his hands, "but it's not the same, Lex. People have been shopping in markets for hundreds of years - "

"Thousands, actually," Lex corrects, watching through widening, blue eyes as Clark sniffs each of the melons in turn.

Clark's about to say something else, about to point out the fact that markets aren't only used for shopping but for gathering and socializing places as well, when a high pitched voice suddenly calls his name. "Clark!" He tenses and turns slowly around to face a girl he hasn't seen in years, not since she left Smallville to join the rodeo circuit. He still doesn't understand how people can be so cruel to animals as they are in most rodeos and circuses and call it "entertainment".

"Sally Mae," he has to keep himself from grinding out her name, "I heard you were back in town."

"Only for a little while. My baby sister's getting married! Didn't you hear?! I could have thrown her this fabulous shindig in Metropolis, but she wanted to get married at home! We do have enough acres of land to put on a good scene still - "

Clark passes his melons to Lex. Sally stops talking as she sights the multi-billionaire. "Oh my gosh! Lex Luthor! It is true!" She eyes Clark. "You really are spending all your time with him these days, aren't you?! Candy must be right! You must be playing for the other team! And here I was just about to say how our mothers always thought we were going to be the ones to get hitched right after school!"

"Clark - " Lex starts, straightening slowly from placing the melons carefully in their shopping cart.

Something ticks in Clark's left cheek. Lex catches the subtle movement and has to hide a smile. His secret beau really doesn't like this girl. "We went out on one date, Sally - "

"But we used to hang together all the time!"

"No, we didn't. Our mothers were friends, so we spent some time - "

Sally continues as if she hasn't even heard him, exclaiming, "Why, everybody figured for sure you'd get tired of Lana Lang and come to me! And yet here you are trusting the diabolical Lex Luthor with your melons!"

Clark's cheek ticks again. "First, he's not diabolical."

"That's not what the papers say! He's Lionel Luthor's son, Clark, and the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Her eyes size him up. "You certainly didn't fall far from your daddy's tree!"

Crimson burns in Clark's cheeks. "Sally Mae," he says as calmly and evenly as he can, "Lex is nothing like his father, and of course I trust him with my melons. Why wouldn't I," he continues, lifting his gaze from hers to look at Lex instead, "when I trust him with my life?"

"Your life?" the blonde gasps. "Why - "

But even as she watches, Clark makes a bold move. In view of the entire produce department, whose workers and customers alike have stopped their actions to stare at Clark, Lex, and the spectacle that Sally is making, Clark moves his hand for Lex's. His hand covers the hand that Lex still has on the handle bar of their buggy and guides him and their cart forward. "Come on, Lex," he says softly. He raises a voice but speaks once more to Sally without looking back, "Sorry, Sally, but Mom's waiting for us at home. She needs these apples," he nods to the pound of apples in their buggy, "for the pies she's making this afternoon."

"Yeah, I know! They're for my sister's wedding! Aren't you coming, Clark?"

"I have other plans," he says quickly and steers the buggy around the corner but not before Lex's calm, happy voice drifts back to Sally, "What are we doing tomorrow, sweetheart?"

Clark's blush deepens even more, but he grins nonetheless. "Maybe arranging to do our shopping through orders from now on," he murmurs but wastes no time in putting as much distance between them and Sally Mae as he can.

The End


End file.
